Step 1
Check whether the deposit was protected
Search the approved schemes using the tenant name, property address, deposit amount and tenancy dates. Keep screenshots or confirmation emails from DPS, mydeposits and TDS.
How it works
How unprotected tenancy deposit claims usually work.
A strong deposit protection claim is built around dates, documents and scheme records. This page explains the typical journey from first suspicion to evidence review and potential court action.
Check your eligibility
The process
What to do, in the right order.
Step 2
Review the prescribed information
Look for the certificate, scheme details, landlord details, property address, deposit amount, repayment terms and dispute process. Missing or late paperwork can be important.
Step 3
Send a clear letter before claim
Many tenants write to the landlord or agent first, explain the breach, attach evidence and ask for repayment or settlement before issuing a county court claim.
Step 4
Consider a county court claim
If the landlord will not resolve the issue, you can ask the court to decide whether the rules were breached and what compensation should be ordered.
Approved schemes
The three official providers you need to check.
Check all three because your landlord could have used any approved scheme. Search using consistent details and save dated proof of the result.
Evidence map
What each document helps prove
Deposit payment date
Bank transfer, receipt, rent account or email confirming the amount paid.
Protection date
Scheme certificate, landlord email, scheme search result or absence of a record.
Tenancy history
Original agreement, renewals, statutory periodic tenancy dates and landlord changes.
Prescribed information
The documents the landlord served and when the tenant received them.
Current position
Whether the tenancy has ended, whether deductions are disputed and whether the deposit was returned.
Before a claim
Why the landlord's timeline matters.
The core question is usually whether the landlord complied within 30 days of receiving the deposit. If the landlord protected the deposit late, the protection certificate may help prove both the breach and the date the breach was corrected.
Renewals and replacement agreements can make the timeline more complicated. A tenant should keep every tenancy agreement and any emails confirming a new fixed term, rent change or landlord change.
Next step
Check whether your situation points to a claim.
Eligibility depends on your tenancy type, location, deposit records and what your landlord actually did.